FIFA referee Juliet Appiah has addressed the criticism she received after officiating the Hearts of Oak vs. Asante Kotoko match in the Democracy Cup. Despite facing backlash from fans of both teams, Appiah expressed satisfaction with her performance.

In an interview with Kessben FM, Appiah revealed that Hearts of Oak officials commended her for her officiating. “When a football team loses a game, the loser always complains. However, after the game, Hearts of Oak officials applauded me for such excellent officiating. I have not received any bad comments since officiating the game. Anyone who called applauded me for handling a game of such magnitude,” she said.

Appiah also highlighted the challenge of managing a high-profile match like Hearts of Oak vs. Asante Kotoko, emphasizing that it was an achievement to handle the game without any significant issues. “You know Kotoko and Hearts of Oak games are not supposed to be played at night, so for me to handle the game without any bad incident tells you I did well,” she added.

The Porcupine Warriors emerged victorious with a 2-1 win, thanks to goals from Justice Blay and Peter Amidu. The match, held at the Accra Sports Stadium on July 17, 2024, was part of the celebrations marking 30 years of parliamentary democracy in Ghana. As a result of their triumph in the inaugural Democracy Cup, Kotoko will face Major League Soccer side DC United in a future fixture, with the date to be announced by the organizers.